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Relationship among thermal environment, stage of lactation, body characteristics, yield and milk constituents of dairy Gyr cows managed on pasture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2024

Karolini Tenffen De-Sousa ,
Viviane Andrade Ligori ,
Caroline Martins Gonçalves ,
João Alberto Negrão ,
Matheus Deniz ,
André Rabelo Fernandes ,
Glayk Humberto Vilela Barbosa  and
Lenira El Faro
Karolini Tenffen De-Sousa*
Affiliation:
Instituto de Zootecnia, Sertãozinho, São Paulo, Brazil
Viviane Andrade Ligori
Affiliation:
Instituto de Zootecnia, Sertãozinho, São Paulo, Brazil Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
Caroline Martins Gonçalves
Affiliation:
Instituto de Zootecnia, Sertãozinho, São Paulo, Brazil
João Alberto Negrão
Affiliation:
Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
Matheus Deniz
Affiliation:
Grupo de Estudos em Bovinos Leiteiros, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
André Rabelo Fernandes
Affiliation:
Associação Brasileira dos Criadores de Gir Leiteiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Glayk Humberto Vilela Barbosa
Affiliation:
Associação Brasileira dos Criadores de Gir Leiteiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Lenira El Faro
Affiliation:
Instituto de Zootecnia, Sertãozinho, São Paulo, Brazil Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Karolini Tenffen De-Sousa; Email: karoltenffen10@hotmail.com
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Abstract

Our aims were to evaluate changes in body characteristics, milk yield and milk constituents as well as to determine the relationship between the thermal environment and production characteristics during the first lactation of dairy Gyr cows managed on pasture. Between 2013 and 2015, forty-five primiparous dairy Gyr cows were evaluated from prepartum to 10 months of lactation in Southeast of Brazil. Body weight, body condition score (BCS), subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), milk yield (305 d), and milk constituents were collected monthly and progesterone was collected weekly. Additionally, we determined the temperature humidity index (THI) based on microclimate data. Overall, the cows lost body weight until six months of lactation and there was a progressive decrease in BCS, SFT, milk yield and milk lactose as the months in lactation progressed. In contrast, there was an increase in milk fat, milk protein and milk solids. The thermal environment did not pose a consistent heat challenge, nevertheless, we found a positive correlation between the average THI two days before milk collection with milk yield, fat and lactose contents, but in contrast a negative correlation was found with total solids and protein. In conclusion, the THI and months of lactation affected the yield and constituents of milk. However, more studies are necessary to understand the impacts of body characteristics and thermal environment on yield and milk constituents throughout the productive life of Gyr dairy cows.

Keywords

Body condition scorelactationperformancethermal conditionzebu cows
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , First View , pp. 1 - 6
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Hannah Dairy Research Foundation

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